Twisted Hearts
by JacquiDee
Summary: Not that she's interested in Danny Desai. Because she isn't.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Yeah, I don't know. Happy Reading!**

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She expected this, really, she did. Well, maybe she didn't. She should have, she would have from anybody else. But not Danny. She had the warning signs, and maybe if she had more girly training being a girly girl, she could've prepared herself better. Really, the way he talked nonstop about Lacey, how much he wanted her back in his life – you think she would have noticed. Not that she's interested in Danny or anything. Because she isn't. She just happens to have enough common sense to know that having a romantic relationship with Lacey would make Danny's school life harder. At least, that's what she's telling herself when Rico finds her, knees up to her chest, arms wrapped around herself, bawling her eyes out and rocking back and forth in their corner of McNally Park. He looks so startled (even though he was obviously looking for her) and it's _almost_ enough to make her smile. He crouches down in front of her and carefully pats her shoulder.

"I think I can tell you're not okay, so I'm not gonna ask," he mumbles and slips his arm around her shoulders for an awkward hug. She bawls for a few more minutes, sucking in shaky, watery breaths, before she stops making noise and just hides her face underneath her messy blonde curls, leaning farther into Rico's side than she has with anyone of the male gender except for her father and Danny earlier in the night (but she's not thinking about that, she's _not_). He doesn't know what to do for her, so he rubs his hands up and down her arms and makes soft crooning noises until she's stopped shuddering and is staring blankly into space. "You know you're amazing Jo. Any guy would be lucky to have you." She laughs dryly, the first non-crying noise she's made all night.

"I must not be that great. Lacey really does have better hair than me," she says quietly and he leans his cheek on her head, not sure if it's really comforting, but he saw it in a movie once.

"Danny Desai is an idiot."

"You know, I'd think I'd agree with him on that. With his GPA being so high and everything," says another voice from the trees, one she is able to recognize immediately, despite five years away from it. The source of her tears (the first tears she's _ever_ shed over a boy) steps out of the shadows and, yep, there's Danny Desai in all of his tall-dark-and-handsome perfection. She thinks it's the first time in all the years she's known him that she can't meet his gaze. For once, Rico doesn't descend into a string of nervous babbling trying to defend his statement. She feels him tense next to her and she gently squeezes his arm.

"It's okay, Rico," she murmurs softly. She can feel her friend's eyes on her, but she's staring at the grass with a renewed concentration, so she doesn't see his expression. He doesn't move for a minute and, when he does, he stands in front of Danny, shoulders squared and unflinching.

"I'm not the strongest guy in the world, you know, outside of the classroom, but you've already made her cry once tonight. That's one more time than I should have allowed, but I swear to God if you do it again, I'll kill you," his words hang in the air for a moment. "No pun intended," he adds. The crunch of his feet on the leaves grows fainter as he leaves them. Danny takes his place next to her, nestling into the patch of grass Rico had been in just moments before. She doesn't let herself lean into his side.

"I'm sorry, Jo," he whispers quietly. She laughs again, a dry, humorless sound, and pushes herself to her feet, looking down at him for the first time since she'd run from him at the Formal. His long, dark hair is pulled back from his face (not her favorite hairstyle, she likes it much more when it's wild and loose) and his deep brown eyes are apologetic as they rest on her face. She knows he really didn't _mean_ to hurt her, but she can't help the resentment she feels. She had been so open, so willing with her second chances, and look where it had gotten her. His elbows are resting on his propped up knees and she knows how easy it would be to forgive him and go back to resting comfortably against his side. She shakes her head, her curls brushing her cheek.

"It doesn't matter. Lacey's very pretty," she says tiredly.

"That's not – It's not – "he begins, but she cuts him off.

"And she's not a mole person. I'm sure she'll help you fit in better," she snaps, perhaps a littler harsher than she intended, because he looks so hurt, but she knows if she kneels back into the grass she'll never be able to leave him. She's so tired of comforting him when she needs to be comforted too. So she squares her shoulders and turns on her heel. She can feel his gaze on her back.

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Her dad is sitting on the steps when she walks in the front door. He looks like he's ready to scream at her some more, but she knows from catching a glimpse of herself in his police cruiser that her eyes are still red and puffy and she looks very broken. She stops inside the doorway and he's on his feet in an instant, offering his arms. And for the first time since Danny Desai has come back into town, she rushes towards them, crying so hard that he's the one who shakes.

"You were right Daddy."

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**I do not own Twisted. All rights go to their respective owners/producers. Review, please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So a few of you requested a second chapter or a sequel and this is what popped into my brain. This may or may not turn into weekly thing, based on the promos for the next episode. This is my take on Jo and Danny's possible bedroom kiss. Happy Reading!**

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She's sitting on her bed, her math book open in her lap and random papers strewn around her, when the tapping starts. The rain has been pelting her window for hours and she dismisses it as a few exceptionally heavy raindrops splattering against the glass. There's peace for a few moments when it starts again, louder and more insistent. Her stomach clenches and she can feel her adrenaline start to pump. She freezes in the position she's in, trying to maintain the look of studying, while she contemplates what to do. Her parents are out, her dad taking her mom on a weekend trip up to Maine to apologize for being such a hard ass recently. The tapping turns into a knocking and she hesitantly raises her eyes to her window. Her first reaction is to scream and hop off of her bed. A set of dark eyes is staring at her through the glass. Then the voice reaches her.

"Jo! Come on, Jo, OW. Open up! Ouch, damn it!" Danny whines. She remains frozen in the middle of her room for about ten more seconds before her muscles unlock and she rushes to the window, moving the lock and shoving it up. Danny is dangling precariously from the branch just within reach. "Look out," he huffs, swinging his legs back and forth. She stares dumbly for a few more seconds before moving to the side. He launches himself in through her window and she lets out an involuntary squeal, chucking the nearest book at his head when he laughs at her for it.

"You're an idiot! You could've died! Why didn't you come to the door like a normal human?" she growls, throwing another pillow at his head for good measure. She slams her window shut and returns to her spot on the bed, eyeing him warily. He holds out his hands in front of him and his dark eyes probe her face.

"Would you have answered?" he asks quietly, returning his hands to his pockets and ducking his head. She purses her lips and leaves that question unanswered. She hasn't spoken to him since the stint in McNally Park, ignoring his pleas to meet at the diner and doing her absolute best to avoid him at school. When he catches up with her (which he does, often), she looks past his face and stands very still while he talks at her before side stepping him and continuing on her way. "Jo, we need to talk about what you saw." She shakes her head, curls flying, and slams her book shut.

"I don't want to talk about anything. I'm not your girlfriend. It's totally up to you if you want to ruin your life even more," she snaps, biting down hard on the inside of her cheek to stop the welling of water in her eyes. A cold hand under her chin forces her to move her focus from her comforter to his face. His eyes are pleading with her and the lines of his face are soft, no trace of the hard defensiveness he shows to the rest of town.

"It was a heat of the moment thing. You're right, Lacey's very pretty. But c'mon Jo. She won't give me a chance. And she's not you. She shut me out. You're so open and willing. I don't know what messed up karma brought you back into my life but I don't know what I'd do without you," he murmurs, his hand pushing the hair out of her face to grip the back of her neck, thumb gently tracing a circle on her cheek. She's mesmerized, unable to tear her eyes away from his, the different shades of brown swirling together the closer she looks. She doesn't realize how close he is to her until his teeth start chattering. "Damn rain," he mutters, dropping his eyes. She pulls back and hops off the bed.

"I'll go get a towel," she says softly before ducking down the hallway, hoping to God he doesn't notice how her legs are shaking. When she returns, he's sitting on the edge of her bed rubbing his hands together, teeth still chattering. She folds her legs underneath her as she sinks down next to him, running the fluffy, dry towel through his wet hair. He smiles at her and reaches out, gently grasping her wrist and taking the towel from her. He rubs it messily over his head, making her laugh at how hair stands up in every direction when he removes the towel. His fingers are still cold when he hands the towel back. "You should probably take off your shirt. It's still wet and I don't want you to get sick or something," she murmurs, the blood pooling in her face as she stands up and bolts for the laundry room, unable to meet his gaze. She's walking back into her room when she looks up and freezes. Danny Desai worked out in juvie. A few water droplets glisten on his toned, defined stomach, his bronze skin stretched tantalizingly over his lean, sexy biceps. She opens her mouth to say something, anything, but she can't make her words come out and a coy smile breaks across his face.

"Speechless, I see," he teases and she mutters curses at him under her breath, ignoring the heat in her cheeks as she sinks back onto her mattress, a little farther away than where she wants to be. She picks at the fraying threads on her covers, refusing to look up at him. "Jo," he finally whispers, catching her attention. She makes the mistake of looking up and he's suddenly so close and not close enough. "Just tell me when," he murmurs, his voice husky and deep and he leans forward slowly. She couldn't move if she wanted to, but don't get her wrong. She doesn't want to. When his lips make contact with hers, it's all she imagined and more. His lips are soft and they fit just right with hers. There's none of that romantic lip biting or tonsil hockey, simply his hand on her neck and hers in his hair, tugging him closer. When they both break for air, she's a little dazed and she can tell he is too by the small smile on his face. He pushes himself back and reaches for his wet shirt, making his way towards the window. She reaches a hand out to him.

"Wait," she says and her voice sounds very small. His eyes soften and he runs a hand through his hair.

"What's up?" he answers, a slight tremor in his voice. She bites her lip and looks down, fiddling with her thumbs before sliding back and pushing her covers back.

"Stay with me," she says simply and it's not a plea or a question, exactly. She thinks he'll say no, kiss her forehead, and duck back out the window, but he stands, frozen, for several seconds before dropping his shirt back to the floor and moving under the covers with her. The denim of his jeans is scratchy and wet and she'll definitely have to wash her sheets later to get rid of the smell of rain, but, as she stretches to turn off her lamp and his toned, warm arm slides around her waist, giving he goosebumps when his skin makes contact with hers along the thin strip between the line of her sweats and her tank top, she thinks it's definitely worth it. She lays her head down and he kisses her temple before resting his head against her pillow. It's not long before his breathing is slow and even, but her eyes are wide open as she stares at her wall, a warm, contented feeling in her stomach.

"Well, now what?" she whispers softly to her empty room. She can feel the rise and fall of Danny's chest on her back and she closes her eyes, not particularly caring that she doesn't have an answer.

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**Like it? Hate it? Review, please, so I know whether or not to do this weekly thing!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Ahh, it was a dream! What kind of teaser was that? I got all excited for my Janny kiss and BAM! JUST KIDDING LACEY BROKE UP WITH ARCHIE FOR DANNY. Ugh all I have is my imagination now. The promo for next week wasn't particularly inspiring so I did my best. Happy Reading!**

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She shifts uncomfortably, yanking at her sleeve and bringing herself closer to Danny. The drunken yells are beginning to hurt her ears and she's had so many drinks spilled on her that she's sure her father will accuse her of underage drinking and ground her for another two weeks. Something bumps into her (again) and she turns her head, starting slightly at how close Archie is to her. His eyes are slightly glazed over when he looks her up and down and scoffs slightly in the back of his throat. She feels the flush burning her cheeks but he shoves himself away before she can say anything and she ducks her head again, trying to stay out of the way. A familiar laugh catches her attention and she looks up, seeing Danny making his way back to her, two drinks in his hand. A small smile involuntarily spreads across her face. Another person bumps her and she turns, her smile faltering as Sarita glares at her and makes a show of wiping off her shirt where it came in contact with Jo. She lowers her eyes and a red plastic cup is shoved under her nose.

"Don't worry, it's Sprite," Danny chuckles, swaying ever so slightly on his feet. She frowns as she sips it, wondering when he had started drinking. His eyes focus on her with little trouble and his smile drops. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"What am I doing here Danny?" she asks, looking up at his face. He knits his brows together in confusion.

"I thought we decided we needed to get out more." She waves her hand around them.

"I don't fit in here. Archie and Sarita have both managed to be disgusted by me in like a five minute time span. I think I'm losing hearing and it wouldn't matter if this did have alcohol in it because I already smell like I'm wasted," she complains, feeling like a dead beat, but wishing he'd stop trying to make her fit a mold that's starting to look more and more like Lacey's. He opens his mouth to explain but she talks over him. "Look, you finish having your social hour or whatever. Come find me when you're ready to leave," she forces out and she pushes past him. He doesn't try to stop her, whether it's because he loses her in the crowd or simply doesn't care enough to grab for her she's afraid to know. She heads for a miraculously quiet alcove right off the front room and sits in the only chair, twining her fingers together and staring at her shoes. She doesn't know why she's being so difficult. This morning had been nice.

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She woke up alone, her tank top riding up on her stomach and her covers twisted around her legs. She sat up, blinking confusedly at her bright, empty room. She glanced down at the spot next to her, seeing the rumpled sheets from where someone had slept but no body, when the smell of bacon floated up to her. Smiling, she tossed the covers back and slid out of bed, hopping downstairs to find a very shirtless Danny Desai standing at her stove, flipping eggs and bacon out of a skillet. She leaned against the doorframe of the kitchen.

"Isn't that my job?" she teased, sliding into a chair at the table. He turned his head to look at her, smiling and flipping his hair out of his eyes. Expertly, he slid the plate in front of her and sat down at the other end of the table.

"You looked so pretty sleeping, I didn't want to wake you," he confessed, staring into his orange juice. The smile that appeared on her face wasn't her fault. He was a good cook, she discovered rather quickly.

"Thanks for breakfast," she said as she grabbed her plate and his and took them to the sink. An odd wave of déjà vu hit her as she realized this was what her parents looked like every morning. When she turned back around, leaning against the sink, he was watching her, his arm across the back of the chair, his chin resting on his arm. "What?" she asked, a smile in her voice. He shrugged.

"Can I ask you something?" She nodded, a nervous tingle in her stomach. "Will you come to Tyler's party with me tonight?" Foolishly, she had agreed.

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A presence in the doorway brings her back to the present. She looks up, startled to see Tyler leaning in the doorway.

"Hey, Jo, what are you doing back here?" he asks, a barely perceptible slur to his words. She raises an eyebrow, but answers him anyway.

"Waiting for Danny to decide to leave," she answers honestly. He has a confused look on his face (which doesn't surprise her), but he offers her a hand anyway.

"Why don't you come dance with me?" and maybe she's just trying to prove to Danny that she _can_ fit in but she takes his hand and lets him pull her out the doorway and into the middle of the crowded living room. The music is so loud she feels like she's pulsing but she manages to move her body in way that doesn't make her look like she's having a seizure. She must not be doing a terrible job because she can feel more eyes on her than normal, but not in a jeering way. She turns her head at one point and sees Danny and Lacey in a corner by the stairs. Her movements slow a little bit, but, before she can make her way over to them, the song changes and Tyler is suddenly behind her, pressing her flush against him, hands at her hips, guiding her movements. Feeling unnecessarily stung by being abandoned for Lacey, she allowed her hips to swing in a way she didn't think they knew how to, pressed tightly against Tyler. A surge of confidence later and she had her arm up around his neck, allowing him to press his lips to her neck. Fingers close tightly around her wrist and she's yanked roughly away. Her eyes dart up in confusion and Danny is standing in between her and Tyler, a glare hardening his features and sending Tyler away without protest. She jerks her wrist back.

"What was that for?! I was actually doing something!" she snaps, stepping away from him. It doesn't matter. He invades her personal space again.

"I don't trust that guy!" he shouts over the noise. During his tirade, his hands close possessively over her hips and his gaze is focused over her shoulder. She turns her head and sees his eyes locked on Tyler and Archie.

"I'm sorry that I was fitting in while you were buddying up with Lacey," she hisses and he looks surprised now instead of angry. "Can we leave now, please?"

"Just give me a minute," he barks back and she feels the shock on her face. His eyes soften. "Please, Jo, I just need a minute." She nods mutely and moves with him to the front door. He opens it for her, ushering her out and locking eyes one more time with the soccer boys as if to say 'She's mine'. "I promise, I'll be right back," he says, lightly pushing her onto the porch swing. He slips back inside and she wraps her arms around herself, using her feet to swing herself slightly. When enough time passes that she begins to get antsy, she looks up across the yard. Two figures retreating to the park across the street catch her attention. More specifically, the leather jacket that Danny's wearing catches her attention. She gets to her feet and, ignoring her better instinct, makes a dash across the road, keeping far enough away that her footsteps won't be heard. Danny and the girl (Lacey, she recognizes with a twist in her stomach), stop running and laughter reaches her ears. Jo twists her hands together nervously and slips behind a tree, leaning her head out carefully. She's close enough to hear them speak.

"We're like Romeo and Juliet," Lacey giggles, stepping into his open arms. Her heart plummets to her stomach.

"Because that ended so well," he teases back and she forces herself to watch him gently press his lips to Lacey's. She sucks in a deep breath and bites her lip, hard, before turning and rushing back to the party without being seen. She's panting when she reaches the porch swing and she sinks down on it, the tears chasing each other down her cheeks and she gives up on trying to control them. Silent sobs wrack her body and she inwardly curses herself for being so stupid as to trust him. Her tears slow to a steady stream by the time he opens the front door again (sneaky bastard probably snuck around back) and thinking about what he was doing in that amount of time only makes her chest hurt.

"Alright we can – Jo? What's wrong?" he asks, crouching down in front of her and the concern in his voice is more than she can handle. The sharp crack of skin on skin surprises her as much as it does him when her hand connects with his cheek. His hand goes to his face and she stands up, pushing him roughly away from her. "What the hell Jo?" She folds her arms across her chest and lets her voice break when she answers, forcing him to see the pain she's in.

"Romeo and Juliet, eh?"

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**Review please!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey guys I am soooo sorry that I'm so late. I was on vacation this past week and, even if I had Wi-Fi, I didn't manage to catch Tuesday's episode until tonight. However, to make it up to you, the next chapter will be exactly on time which gives y'all two chapters in three days. Anyway, all this Dacey stuff is killing me. Like…why do you feel the need to do that in front of your window? And Rico! Awwwww poor Rico. Okay rant over. Happy Reading!**

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_"Romeo and Juliet, eh?"_

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His face freezes as soon as she says it. She can practically see the wheels turning in his head as he tries to figure out what she's seen. He opens his mouth, but no words come out, and the fact that he can't even come up with a lie to tell her makes it all the worse. Tears well up in her eyes and she squeezes her arms. He reaches out to her and she jerks away, as if his skin will burn her if it touches her. She bites her lip and ignores the hurt that crosses his face at that. Screw him and his feelings. He obviously doesn't care about hers.

"Jo, it's just me," he says softly, his hand still offered. She shakes her head and takes another step back.

"Really? Because the Danny I grew up with, the Danny I gave a second chance, the Danny that scaled my house to apologize the other night in the rain," she breaks off here and breathes shakily, trying not to cry. "That Danny would not have left me alone to go make out with another girl behind my back." The door opens behind her and the light illuminates his face. His eyes are wide and he's blinking confusedly.

"Am I interrupting?" comes the soft voice and she whirls.

"Hello, Lacey. No, you are not interrupting anything. Just, you two have fun," she says icily, waving her hand between the two of them. Lacey looks confused and reaches a hand out to her.

"Are you okay? What happened?" she asks and Jo thinks she's never been so angry at one person.

"Cut the crap Lacey. I know about you two." Lacey's face looks pained and she opens her mouth to say something. "I don't even care. Just you should've told me!" she explodes because at least then she wouldn't have looked so stupid to Danny this morning and she turns back to him. "I'm gonna ask Tyler to take me home. And if he can't, I'll call Rico. Just, stay away from me, okay?"

"Jo," he tries again but she's through the door and back in the living room before he can finish. The pulsing lights that had made her feel sexy a few hours ago make her head hurt now. She weaves through the people, feeling more and more claustrophobic the longer she stays. She makes it back to the alcove she'd started in and drops down into a crouch, bending her head between her knees and panting, trying to keep her tears from spilling.

"Stupid, stupid. You weren't even together," she mutters to herself as she sits back on her heels. When she looks up in the doorway, Tyler is standing there, looking down at her with confusion on his face. "Oh, hi Tyler. I'm, um, sorry I keep crashing your space." He slips into the tiny space and sits down opposite from her.

"Don't worry about it, it's cool. So, uh, you wanna talk about it? That's what I'm supposed to ask, right?" She laughs dryly and runs a hand over her face.

"Not right now. But, if you could give me a ride home, maybe I'll take you up on that dinner?" she offers, a forced smile on her face. He can't seem to tell (not like Danny can) and his face lights up.

"Of course, Ms. Masterson," he says, over exaggerating his courtesy and making her laugh. He helps her up and slips an arm around her waist as he leads her through the party. She's grateful when he takes them out the garage and she doesn't have to pass Archie or Lacey on the way out. He opens her door for her and, as he drives the couple blocks between their houses, she finds herself smiling at his easy laughter and upbeat attitude. He pulls into her driveway and there's a pleasant silence. "So about that dinner," he begins with a smile and she breaks into laughter. "How about I pick you up Saturday at seven?" She opens her mouth to say an easy yes when she feels it. An awkward feeling in the pit of her stomach reminds her that, no matter how easy it is to smile around Tyler, he doesn't give her the same adrenaline-pumping, heart-racing, knee-weakening feeling that Danny does. And she curses him for ruining everything, but she knows the next time he flashes her that smile, she'll end up forgiving him all over again. She forces another smile and she's sure it looks fake, but Tyler doesn't pick up on it.

"Sure. Saturday. Sounds nice," she pushes out through her teeth and he gets out and opens the door for her again and why can't she just forget about stupid Danny Desai? Tyler leans forward and pecks her cheek and she freezes in surprise.

"See you Saturday," he smiles and gets back in the car. He waits in her driveway until she waves to him from the doorway then, with a little honk, he drives off. Her mom isn't home, which is unusual, but the little sticky note on the fridge tells her that she's out for coffee with Karen. Of course, right as her life is crumbling around her, her mother has to go and make friends with the person who caused everything to crumble's mother. In irrationalized anger, she crumples the note and opens the fridge, grabbing a juice box and slamming it closed again. As she stabs the straw into the small pouch, she sighs. She can't be angry at her mother for this. She can't even be mad at Karen. After all, it's not her fault her son's a sneaky cheater. Suddenly, a loud bang resounds from upstairs and she freezes, her stomach dropping. She lunges for the phone, but there's loud footsteps upstairs and she's paranoid and a cop's daughter. Silently, she slips into her dad's study and opens the drawer. She's never touched it before and she's only seen it twice in her life, but she grips the small pistol just right and takes a deep, steadying breath before sneaking upstairs. She pauses stealthily at the top of the stairs; the footsteps have stopped and she'll be damned if she's about to look in every room chasing after a burglar. To her dismay (and terror), the noises pick up again from the room third down on the left. Her room. She places her hand on the door knob and takes a deep breath before throwing the door open and pointing the gun towards the figure in front of her closet.

"Jesus Christ, Jo! What the hell? What are you doing?" Danny yells, quickly opening his hands up to show her he's unarmed and jumping back about five feet. She drops the gun to her side.

"That's what I'm supposed to be yelling at you!" she shouts and carefully places the pistol on her bedside table. "Leave me alone does not mean sneak into my room when no one's home and give me a freaking heart attack!"

"Look, Jo, I have no reason to stand here and you have every right to hit me with that gun or shoot me and tell me to get out but please, I am begging you, just, hear me out," he pleads and, dammit, she was right, she's just going to let him do it again. She clicks her tongue and growls lowly under her breath.

"You have five minutes. After that I'm gonna start aiming for your head." And she crosses her arms and stands still, trying not to let the way his face looks with just lamplight on it influence her judgment. He looks down at his open hands and shifts his weight.

"Okay, I'm not exactly sure what you saw, obviously it was enough. There's obviously something between me and Lacey. But I realized…after you left…that it never felt so hard to watch Lacey walk away from me. Because I think I might lust Lacey. Not that I don't lust you or anything. You have no idea how hard it was to lay next to you in bed last night and not do anything," he smiles softly at the blush on her cheeks. "But it's just lust with her. We disagree on just about everything and she treats me like some dirty little secret. And with you…I forget that we're at a diner. Or I forget that we started a conversation hours ago. Because you smile and it's like I'm not on this planet. I'm just sort of floating. I notice just about everything about you. How pretty your hair looks when the sun hits it just so. And how easy going your laugh is. You helped get me back on my feet before Lacey would even give me the time of day. I lust Lacey but I love you." She froze.

"Don't do that Danny. Don't say that. Because I do love you. And if you say that, then I'm just gonna keep falling for you and look like a complete idiot when Rico catches you and Lacey making out in the janitor's closet," she says, averting her eyes and sinking down on her bed. Tears start falling without her permission. "Don't do this to me again." He moves in front of her and she's staring at his shoes. One hand winds around her waist and the other grabs her arm, hauling her up. Her chest is pressed against his and she can hardly look up because she's so close to him she can see each of his eyelashes as he blinks. "Please," she whispers. "I can only bend so far before you break me." He gently tips her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"I won't break you," he murmurs, carefully pressing his lips to hers. And it wasn't like their first kiss. Their first kiss was just a hint of all he could give her. His hand tangles in her curls, pushing her closer. She lets her hands clasp around the back of his neck and his other hand drops to the small of her back, pressing her against him. This is the feeling she missed in the car with Tyler.

"Last chance Desai," she mutters against his lips. And against her better judgment, she lets him lean her back against her bed.

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**Side note: Some of these are inspired by actual scenes like the Danny and Jo kiss (even if it was a dream) and some, like this one, are inspired like lines, in this case, "You should've told me." Again, super sorry I missed this week. I love you guys and your reviews have totally made my summer! Thanks for all the support!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I don't believe the last chapter was wildly popular so I hope this one makes up for it! Poor Danny! He finally tells the truth and BAM. He gets ditched. Depressing. Reviews let me know if I'm doing a terrible job or not so I really appreciate those. Completely unrelated side note: WHO SAW LACEY'S DAD COMING? ANYONE? Okay, anyway. I hope this pleases you guys and happy reading!**

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There's an ache in the lower half of her body when she wakes up in the morning. Confused, she wiggles experimentally, squealing when that elicits a muffled complaint from her left side. She bolts up in bed, ignoring when the sheet pools around her waist. The sun is filtering in through her curtains and Danny looks pretty much adorable when he pokes his head out from under her pillow. His hair is sticking up in random places and he's blinking groggily. She stares at him, blinking erratically like she's trying to clear her eye sight. His eyes drop from her face a little lower and she snatches the sheet up to her chin, embarrassment red on her cheeks. He smiles lazily and drags himself over to her side of the bed, lays his head in her lap. His hand reaches up and tangles in her hair.

"Don't be embarrassed," he murmurs, his voice raspy and unused. "You were beautiful I saw you last night, you're just as beautiful this morning." Memories crash into her and she stares down at his face while she lets her mind catch up. Her hands are running idly through his hair, like she's not even aware she's doing it. His hands drop from her face to her waist and he lounges on her bed, watching her patiently. "I've never heard you this quiet," he teases. "You always have so much to say." She looks down at him sharply, a retort on the tip of her tongue when she's interrupted.

"Jo, honey, it's time for breakfast! I'm sending your dad up to get you!" her mother's crystal clear voice calls, followed closely by the heavy clomping of her father's boots. Her eyes widen almost comically and Danny smirks as if he is asking her what she's going to do about him. Regaining her bearings, she drowsily unfolds her legs.

"You can stay like this if you'd like to, but I'd hate to see what this would do to you as a suspect, what with my father, the lead detective on this case, walking in on his _only_ daughter naked in bed with the _only_ suspect he has right now for the biggest murder case he'll ever see in his career," she says sweetly, and he's out of her lap and into her closet before she can grab his t-shirt from the night before and slip it over her head. Her dad's head peeks into her room just as she pulls her covers up around her chin. She blinks blearily at him, like his entrance is waking her up.

"Morning dad," she says, her voice purposefully scratchy. She stretches her arms up over her covers and he averts his eyes.

"Mom's calling you downstairs," he grumbles before slinking back out into the hallway. She waits for five heartbeats before throwing her legs out off of the bed. Danny's shirt stops about midway down her thighs and she leans against the door frame of her closet, smiling softly as she watches Danny dance back into his jeans.

"Aw, man, I was really enjoying the view," she teases, making him stick his tongue out at her. He slides out of the closet, wraps his arms around her waist. Her hands fall to his (still bare) stomach.

"I kinda like the way you look in my clothes. Want me to hang out up here until you're done with breakfast? I'll need to drop by my house before I take you to school so, you know, I can change my clothes," he mumbles, his lips dropping to hers.

"So you're taking me to school?" she says brightly. "Thanks Danny!" and then she bounds out of her room, throwing a smile over her shoulder. Her mom looks at her suspiciously all through breakfast, but she manages to eat quickly without any unnecessary questions about boys or her choice of clothing. Danny lounges on her bed, his dark eyes following her closely as she bounds around. The look on his face is priceless when she pulls of his shirt, even though, in his words, he'd seen her all last night. He makes a high whine in the back of his throat when she comes out of her closet fully dressed and she rolls her eyes at him through the mirror while she drags a brush through her curls. When she comes back in from the bathroom, he's dozing again. Smiling childishly, she leaps onto the bed, legs landing on each side of his stomach. His head jerks up and she catches a noise that sounds suspiciously like a moan with her mouth. His lips move with hers for a moment before she pulls away. "Wake up, we're gonna be late." He complains the whole drive to his house, but he drags her in with him and the view of him changing is really one she could get used to. When they arrive at school, Lacey and Rico are bent over Rico's laptop, Lacey's mouth opened in a wide O. She grits her teeth, but Danny grabs her hand over the console. He gently squeezes her fingers.

"I've got a meeting with Principal Tang this morning. I'll see you after first hour, okay?" and he opens the door for her, offering her a hand and helping her out. "Go talk to Rico. Make up with Lacey. It's not all her fault." And he pecks her cheek before pushing her ever so slightly in their direction. Rico looks up and sees her first and his first reaction is to slam his laptop shut. Lacey mutters something under her breath and Rico shakes his head. She raises her eyebrows.

"Hey, guys," she says in a long drawn out sentence. "Lacey. What're you looking at Rico?" Lacey's head is dropped into her hands and she's confused by the look they exchange. "What, can I not see or something?" When Rico looks up, the usual cheerful look on his face is gone. His eyes are more serious than she's ever seen them.

"I really don't want you to see this Jo," he shares a look with Lacey, "but you need to. I don't know if you want me here, so I'm gonna go sit on the steps." He opens his laptop and accesses whatever he was watching earlier. He squeezes her shoulder as she takes his place and she moves her eyes to Lacey, who clears her throat.

"I'm gonna sit here with you, and I know you're probably still pissed at me, but we both need to talk about it." A bad feeling is unfurling in her stomach and she warily presses play. Danny and Lacey appear on the screen. She swallows hard, noting Lacey's black bra which she can see all too well because her dress is gone. The onscreen versions of her friends continue to kiss for the first part of the video and then, when Danny leans her down on the couch, she closes her eyes and softly shuts the laptop. She bites her lip and reopens them slowly, meeting Lacey's gaze.

"So he's slept with both of us in two days," she whispers quietly, looking down at her clasped hands. She hears Lacey's slight intake of breath before a hand is covering hers.

"He played me too. He didn't tell me about you either. I never would have touched him, if I had known. And," Lacey breaks off and, when Jo looks up again, her friend's eyes are downcast, "and, I'm sorry." She lifts one of her hand and lays it over Lacey's.

"Me too." Lacey lifts a hand and carefully wipes at a tear in the corner of her eye. A small commotion catches both of their attention and they look up in sync, watching as Rico blocks Danny from getting to them. Danny shoves off Rico's chest and locks eyes with her over his shoulder before turning and storming off towards a picnic table where he sits, facing away from them.

"He's my best friend," she murmurs brokenly, meeting Lacey's eyes, which look surprisingly damp.

"I know. But you need to let him go. We'll get through this. We have each other now," she says, a slight tremor in her voice. She stands up, pulling Jo with her. "I'm gonna go talk to Rico. Handle whatever you gotta handle with Danny." Lacey smiles half-heartedly and leaves her. Twisting her hands underneath her jacket sleeves, she makes her way over to Danny. She stands in front of him and he looks up, indifference on his face.

"I know you slept with Lace. And, I know you kept me your dirty little secret," and a flash of pain crosses his face as he catches his own words from her mouth. "I told you this was it. I'm sorry Danny." She steps forward and covers his hands with hers. "I don't think you killed Regina Crane and I will be there at your trial, supporting you. You're my best friend. But," she begins, sucking in a deep breath and he's shaking his head slightly, like he can deny her rejection if he tries hard enough, but she keeps talking "we can't do this. Obviously things are just too complicated with you and Lacey and you and me. Maybe…maybe in the future or something, isn't that what they say in those stupid movies? You have enough to worry about and this, this is just adding more pressure." His eyes are closed and she caresses his cheek. "I still love you. I just love you enough to let you go." She brushes a feather light kiss over his lips before walking around the picnic table. She pauses about five feet away, turning to look at him.

And she waits.

But he doesn't come after her.

So she keeps walking.


End file.
